Means for utilizing natural gas as a fuel



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L. P. RIDER.

MEANS FOR UTILIZING NATURAL GAS -AS A FUEL.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 28,1886.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMAN P. RIDER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR UTILIZING NATURAL GAS-AS A FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,811, datedSeptember 28, 1886.

Application filed June 29, 1985. Serial No. 170,182. (No model.)

1b aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMAN P. RIDER. of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Method of and Means for Utilizing Natural Gas as a Fuel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

To enable others skilled in the art with which my invention is most nearly connected to make and use it, I will proceed to describe its construction'and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of my specificatiom'Figure 1 is a vertical and longitudinal section of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a view of the furnace with the crown removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6 are detail views.

The furnace A, chamber B, crown 0, openings D, grate-bars'F, lever G, and combustionchamber H are the same in all respects as that described and shown in my application for patent for improvement in bagasse furnace filed October 17, 1884, Serial No. 109,296.

Along the front of the furnace is arranged a pipe, J, which is connected to a gas-main or other supply. To the pipe J is connected a number of perforated pipes, K, which rest upon the grate-bars, and upon which are placed a series of cylindrical balls, L, in the firechamber B of the furnace A. The furnace is provided with the ordinary stack, in which is arranged a regulating-damper, N.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: The perforated pipes K being placed in the fire-chamber B and connected to the pipe J, as at a, and the cylindrical balls placed in said pipes, the natural gas is turned on in the pipe I, and, passing up the pipe I, enters the pipe J, and from it enters the perforated pipes K, and is discharged through the openings in said pipe up and against the lower surfaces of the second row of cylindrical balls in the firechamber, and the gas striking said balls will rebound and be deflected, and will be thoroughly commingled with the atmospheric air which supports combustion, the atmospheric air being admitted through the ash-pit. Prior to admitting the gas and air into the firechamber of the furnace a light is placed on the top of the cylindrical balls which will ignite the gas as soon as it comes in contact the cylindrical balls when used.

with it. Should it be desirable to have more atmospheric air to commingle with-the gas in the fire-chamber, the damper N is opened 5 5 up, which will cause a greater draftin the furnace. The amount of gas and air to be admitted to the chamber is regulated by the valve S and damper N, so that the amount of heat and the intensity of the heat can be controlled by the operator. Should it be desir able to use other fuel-such as coal, coke, tanbark or other substances-the perforated pipes K are detached from the pipe J and a screwcap placed over the openings in pipe J. The perforated pipes are then removed from the fire-chamber and any suitable fuel is fed into the openings D in the top of said furnace, and in order to aid in the combustion of such fuel I admit gas on the top of said'fuel through the medium of the pipe 0, which is arranged along the front wall of the furnace near the top, said gas entering the furnace through the V-shaped openings P made in the masonry of the furnace, the shape 'of said openings allowing of the force of the gas to draw into the furnace a sufficient quantity of air to aid combustion. Another advantage of introducing gas into a furnace in such manner is that the furnace can be quickly heated and the rapid consumption of the fuel ob tained. The arch of the fire-chamber causes a reverberatory action, whereby the intense heat generated is cast down on the fuel or on 5 Having thus described my improvement, what I claim is 1. In a furnace for burning gas, a series of incombustible balls arranged in layers, in

combination with a series of perforated gas- 0 distributing pipes arranged between and unair supply arranged to discharge into the space support combustion and kept cool, substan- IO above said balls under the crown of the furtialiy as described. nace, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 4. A furnace having asuitable grate,in commy hand this 17th day of January, A. D. 1885. 5 bination with layers of incombustible balls andperforated gas-distributingpipes arranged RIDER between the rows of the lower layer of balls \Vitnesses: and supported by the grate, whereby said A. C. JOHNSTON,

pipes are surrounded by the incoming air to 0. S. JOHNSTON. 

